The use of protective clothing has become extremely commonplace as our environment has become more threatening, with increasing risks of exposure to chemical, biological, and radiological hazards and to thermal and mechanical trauma. Protective gloves, in particular, are used in both household and occupational settings. In many cases, the wearing of gloves is required for employment. In most instances, glove use is prescribed when there is a readily identifiable risk, such as extremes of temperature, sharp or rough surfaces, or chemicals known to cause injury to the skin. Some manufacturing environments also utilize gloves to prevent contamination of products by oils from the hand. In the health care setting, gloves are used to provide a barrier to microorganisms, protecting both the patient and the health care provider from transmission of infection or disease. Use of gloves in the home is most often related to prevention of exposure to liquid during cleaning.
The typical protective glove is completely occlusive. These gloves, made of rubber, vinyl or other polymers, are waterproof and may also provide a barrier to chemicals and/or microorganisms. Some gloves may include insulation for thermal protection. Fabric gloves may protect the wearer from cuts and abrasion, but not to liquids or microorganisms. Gloves for specific applications may combine these features. Ideally, these gloves provide the necessary protection while permitting sufficient hand dexterity and tactility to perform required functions.
A percentage of the general population has allergies or sensitivities that increase the need for protection from conditions that would not be a problem for most individuals. For example, an office worker may be sensitive to chemicals present in copy machine toner, creating an unexpected requirement for occupational glove use. Some of these allergens and sensitizers are actually present in the garments used to protect the skin. Many rubber products, including gloves, work boots and aprons, contain processing chemicals that are documented sensitizers. Exposures to these chemicals cause skin disorders broadly termed allergic or contact dermatitis.
Furthermore, individuals with sensitivities to specific chemicals have generally sensitive skin and require protection from adverse conditions of any type, including extremes of temperature and/or moisture level. These conditions may require treatment with topical medications. The typical occlusive glove causes a buildup of heat and moisture against the skin which can trigger a reaction and may prevent proper function of topical medications. Fabric gloves, while preventing this buildup, may not offer adequate protection or sufficient covering over medications.
The use of latex gloves in the health care setting is of particular concern. Gloves made from natural rubber latex are considered the best protection from potentially dangerous microorganisms. Latex gloves are also very thin, conform to the hand and are inexpensive. However, in addition to containing the common rubber additives that are sensitizers, latex gloves contain a protein that is a cause of allergic reaction. Medical evidence suggests that not only do some latex glove wearers become more sensitive with continuing exposure to the glove, but over time, the response converts from a skin reaction causing dermatitis to a systemic reaction that may cause respiratory distress and, in extreme cases, anaphylactic shock. As the use of latex gloves increases due to the enhanced need for protection from microorganisms, so does the incidence of skin irritation and systemic allergic reaction. For individuals with latex sensitivity, there is a potential dilemma between sufficient barrier protection, their health, and if the reaction becomes severe, their livelihood.
In addition to wearing protective gloves, health care workers are now often required to change their gloves between patient contacts and wash their hands between each change. It is not unusual for a hospital worker to change gloves and wash hands between ten and fifty times each day. For individuals with sensitive skin, the constant exposure to water and cleansers can cause skin reactions and prevent the use of topical medications.
There has been considerable effort in developing improved gloves, each addressing one or more aspects of the situation described above. A number of latex and synthetic gloves are being manufactured which eliminate or reduce the latex protein and/or chemical irritants. None of these remove the need to change the gloves and wash the hands or reduce moisture buildup. Also, many of the synthetic gloves are considerably more expensive than the standard latex glove and have inferior fit and tactility compared to latex. U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,065 relates to a glove that has several disposable layers which allow the user to peel away and discard the outermost layer after each use without removing the glove. While this invention provides for a mechanism to avoid removing the gloves and washing the hands, it does not address the buildup of heat or moisture and the bulky, multilayer construction would not provide the fit and dexterity of latex. In addition, a cut or needlestick would require disposing of the glove regardless of how many usable layers remained.
In order to meet the requirement for reduction of moisture against the skin, the protective garment must be moisture vapor permeable. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,228 describes a glove comprising two elastic sheet materials consisting essentially of a thin polyurethane non-woven fabric that is air and moisture vapor permeable. Such a construction is unlikely to provide the necessary barrier protection or be sufficiently easy to clean. Similarly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,783,857 and 4,670,330 describe gloves made of a continuous film of hydrophilic polymers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,551, herein incorporated by reference, describes a moisture permeable glove made of a laminate of an elastic nonwoven fabric, hydrophilic layer and microporous polymeric membrane. Two laminate sheets are sealed together in the form of a glove. While each invention offers some advantages, none offers the barrier properties and fit of latex. The hydrophilic polymer gloves swell and weaken with exposure to water. The laminate glove is not sufficiently elastic to conform to the hand and the construction makes a continuous liquid and microorganism barrier unlikely.
A different approach to solving this problem is to provide a two component system consisting of a moisture permeable inner liner and an outer protective glove. U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,209 relates to a clothing liner particularly for gloves, which permits passage of sweat vapor in one direction while preventing liquid from returning in the other direction by providing an inner layer that is permeable to vapor but not to liquid and transfers moisture to an absorptive outer layer. While such a liner will effectively remove moisture from the skin, the outer layer would be bulky and become heavy with collected moisture. Also, the absorptive nature of the outer layer would trap contamination and could not be readily cleaned.
There is a need for an inexpensive reusable glove system that provides additional protection to the user against allergens and the development of dermal sensitivity generated by conventional gloves. There is also a need for a glove system that provides fit and barrier properties, reduces buildup of heat and moisture against the skin, allows for contamination control without the need for constant hand washing, may be used with topical medication, and is cost effective.